Sherdog Pick’Em Trends: UFC on Fox 5

Benson Henderson has not lost since joining the UFC. | Photo:
Sherdog.com

It was a close call when Benson
Henderson wrested the lightweight strap from Frankie
Edgar at UFC 144, and it was an even closer call when “Smooth”
retained that same title in a rematch with “The Answer” at UFC 150
some six months later.

Players in Sherdog.com’s MMA
Pick’Em fantasy game have taken notice of Henderson’s winning
ways in high-pressure situations, as 61 percent have selected the
MMA Lab product to defeat Nate Diaz in
the
UFC on Fox 5 main event on Saturday at the Key Arena in
Seattle.

After bouncing back and forth between 155 and 170 pounds, Diaz
seems to have found a permanent home at lightweight. Dominant wins
over Takanori
Gomi, Donald
Cerrone and Miller have launched the Stockton, Calif., native
into title contention. Known for his high-volume boxing and
dangerous jiu-jitsu, Diaz has finished 14 of his 16 career
victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Other Pick’Em Trends for UFC on Fox 5:

• Alexander
Gustafsson is viewed by many as the next great threat to
Jon
Jones at 205 pounds, and 61 percent of participants like him to
continue his ascent up the division by knocking off former champion
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Gustafsson passed a big test in his last
outing, knocking off veteran Thiago
Silva in his home country at UFC on Fuel TV 2. Rua, meanwhile,
finished off Brandon Vera
in the fourth round at UFC on Fox 4 in his most recent
appearance;

• Like Gustafsson at light heavyweight, Rory
MacDonald has been dubbed as a person of interest at 170
pounds. Fantasy competitors seem to believe the hype, as 61 percent
of them have sided with “Ares” in his featured clash against
B.J.
Penn. MacDonald has won four of his five UFC bouts, most
recently pounding out British slugger Che Mills at
UFC 145. Penn returns to active competition for the first time
since UFC 137, where he was battered by Nick Diaz in a
unanimous decision defeat;

• Mike
Swick was the feel-good story of UFC on Fox 4, returning to the
Octagon after a lengthy, injury-plagued hiatus to stop DaMarques
Johnson in the second frame. The vast majority of players (85
percent) expect “Quick” to continue his momentum against Matt Brown,
who enters the welterweight bout having won three straight bouts in
2012;